However, the tanks, airplanes and ships have limited ammuntion and fuel. Granted, they wouldn't be impossible to provide, but the support industry for all that would be complex.
Also, the ability to carry ammunition would not be unlimited. A modern tank could inflict absolutely horrible losses on a 16th century military unit, but it would only take one soldier to pry open a hatch and shove a grenade into it, to kill most of the crew. If enough soldiers swarmed the tank, then it could be beaten.
Equally, a modern destroyer can kill any ship afloat. But it's designed to operate against modern naval vessels. It's surprisingly difficult to sink a wooden ship - it would not be implausible for thirty or forty small ships to swarm the destroyer just to get two or three boarding parties aboard.
Modern technology is a huge force equaliser, but sooner or later someone will figure out weak points or just be bloody-minded enough to accept a horrific exchange rate of casualties in order to win.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
Also, the ability to carry ammunition would not be unlimited. A modern tank could inflict absolutely horrible losses on a 16th century military unit, but it would only take one soldier to pry open a hatch and shove a grenade into it, to kill most of the crew. If enough soldiers swarmed the tank, then it could be beaten.
Equally, a modern destroyer can kill any ship afloat. But it's designed to operate against modern naval vessels. It's surprisingly difficult to sink a wooden ship - it would not be implausible for thirty or forty small ships to swarm the destroyer just to get two or three boarding parties aboard.
Modern technology is a huge force equaliser, but sooner or later someone will figure out weak points or just be bloody-minded enough to accept a horrific exchange rate of casualties in order to win.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.